We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress hp
Sign In
Advertise with Us
LGC Clinical Diagnostics

Download Mobile App




Hollow Microprobe Array Enables Isolation and Manipulation of Single Cells

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 05 May 2015
Print article
Image: The photograph shows a silicon wafer microprobe array and a single cell isolated in a microwell (Photo courtesy of Toyohashi University of Technology).
Image: The photograph shows a silicon wafer microprobe array and a single cell isolated in a microwell (Photo courtesy of Toyohashi University of Technology).
A team of Japanese biomechanical engineers has developed a novel technique for isolating and manipulating single cells.

Investigators at Toyohashi University of Technology (Japan) used microelectromechanical systems fabrication technology to construct an array of hollow probes for the manipulation of single cells. They conducted a cell aspiration experiment with a glass pipette and modeled a cell using a standard linear solid model, which provided information for designing hollow stepped probes for minimally invasive single-cell manipulation.

The investigators etched a silicon wafer on both sides and formed holes with stepped structures that passed through the wafer. In order to trap cells, the inner diameters of the holes were reduced by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition of SiO2. This fabrication process facilitated control of wall thickness, inner diameter, and outer diameter of the probes.

In experiments conducted with the fabricated probes, single cells were manipulated and placed in microwells at a single-cell level in a parallel manner. The investigators studied the capture, release, and survival rates of cells at different suction and release pressures. They reported in the March 2015 online edition of the journal Biomedical Microdevices that the cell trapping rate was directly proportional to the suction pressure, whereas the release rate and viability decreased with increasing the suction pressure. The proposed manipulation system allowed placement of cells in a well array for observance of adherence, spreading, culture, and death of the cells.

"We fabricated an array of hollow microprobes with designed diameters, heights, and numbers from a silicon substrate using microfabrication techniques," said first author Dr. Moeto Nagai, assistant professor of biomechanical engineering at Toyohashi University of Technology. "Single cells were trapped on the tips of the probes using a suction flow. The cells were then released and placed in an array of microwells. Parallel and versatile cell manipulation tools are essential for biomedical innovation, and microfabrication technologies offer massively parallel microstructures close to a human cell in size."

Related Links:
Toyohashi University of Technology


New
Gold Member
ANA & ENA Screening Assays
ANA and ENA Assays
Antipsychotic TDM AssaysSaladax Antipsychotic Assays
New
Newborn Screening Test
NeoMass AAAC 3.0
New
Thyroxine ELISA
T4 ELISA

Print article

Channels

Clinical Chemistry

view channel
Image: The new saliva-based test for heart failure measures two biomarkers in about 15 minutes (Photo courtesy of Trey Pittman)

POC Saliva Testing Device Predicts Heart Failure in 15 Minutes

Heart failure is a serious condition where the heart muscle is unable to pump sufficient oxygen-rich blood throughout the body. It ranks as a major cause of death globally and is particularly fatal for... Read more

Hematology

view channel
Image: The smartphone technology measures blood hemoglobin levels from a digital photo of the inner eyelid (Photo courtesy of Purdue University)

First-Of-Its-Kind Smartphone Technology Noninvasively Measures Blood Hemoglobin Levels at POC

Blood hemoglobin tests are among the most frequently conducted blood tests, as hemoglobin levels can provide vital insights into various health conditions. However, traditional tests are often underutilized... Read more

Immunology

view channel
Image: Under a microscope, DNA repair is visible as bright green spots (“foci”) in the blue-stained cell DNA. Orange highlights actively growing cancer cells (Photo courtesy of WEHI)

Simple Blood Test Could Detect Drug Resistance in Ovarian Cancer Patients

Every year, hundreds of thousands of women across the world are diagnosed with ovarian and breast cancer. PARP inhibitors (PARPi) therapy has been a major advancement in treating these cancers, particularly... Read more

Microbiology

view channel
Image: HNL Dimer can be a novel and potentially useful clinical tool in antibiotic stewardship in sepsis (Photo courtesy of Shutterstock)

Unique Blood Biomarker Shown to Effectively Monitor Sepsis Treatment

Sepsis remains a growing problem across the world, linked to high rates of mortality and morbidity. Timely and accurate diagnosis, along with effective supportive therapy, is essential in reducing sepsis-related... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2024 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.